This invention relates to a thermal fusion splicer for optical fibers.
The splice loss of optical fibers is determined by the misalignment of two optical fibers which are spliced by thermal fusion. It has already been proposed a thermal fusion splicer for optical fibers where the relative position of two blocks for clamping opposing ends of two optical fibers to be spliced are precisely adjusted by a micromotion mechanism capable of moving in the vertical, horizontal and fore and aft directions, and the opposing ends are fused together by heating them by an electric heater, for example, while observing the ends by a microscope in two directions in two planes respectively intersection with the fibers at right angles. With this device, however, it requires much time to adjust the abutting positions of the fibers, precise micromotion mechanism and a microscope having a high magnifying power so that such device is not suitable to use in field works.